Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh. Kick them up one at a time as you lie back, pressing them overhead.

2. 2

   Start with the dumbbells at chest level, elbows at about 45 degrees from your body.

3. 3

   Press both dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended. The dumbbells should travel in a slight arc toward each other.

4. 4

   Lower under control until your upper arms are parallel with the floor or slightly below. Maintain shoulder blade retraction throughout.

Common Mistakes

• Flaring the elbows to 90 degrees, which places excessive stress on the shoulder joint. Keep them at 45-75 degrees.

• Bouncing the bar off the chest instead of pausing briefly at the bottom. Touch-and-go is fine, but bouncing risks rib and sternum injuries.

• Lifting the hips off the bench to get extra drive. This reduces the range of motion and defeats the purpose of the exercise.

Pro Tips

• Cue: "Bend the bar" — try to bend the barbell into a U-shape with your hands. This automatically engages your lats and tucks your elbows into a safer position.

• Pause for a half-second at the chest before pressing. Eliminating the bounce forces your muscles to generate more force and builds strength off the chest.

Related Exercises